2014 NCWBA Member Organizations

2013-2014 NCWBA Officers and Board

     

July/August 2014 

The days of women in the legal profession with the title "first woman" (e.g., to be admitted to practice, to argue in a courtroom, to attend law school, etc.) may seem far away as female trailblazers, since about 1869, defied what was considered the norm and expectations from the gender. From earlier days we can learn many lessons that I summarize with two examples: the perseverance of the first female lawyer in the United States, Arabella Mansfield, and the resilience of Mary Walker, first female U.S. Army surgeon and the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor. Yet, a glance at the historic evolution, a slow and challenging one, of females permitted to practice law, earning law degrees and attaining leadership roles in the legal workplace, reveals the reality of how recent this story still is.

 

As if we were in a time capsule, a select group of speakers, "first women" of our times, shared the history, the experiences, the challenges, the progress and the guidance for the road ahead, at the Federal Bar Association's signature conference: Women in the Law, Power and Progress, held on July 11, 2014, in Washington, DC. These are some of the best tips I gathered from the lecturers including:  Hon. Patricia A. Millett, US Circuit Judge, US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; Mary Elizabeth Gately, Co-managing partner, DLA Piper, Washington, DC; Stacy Leeds, Dean, University of Arkansas Law School; Lt. Gen. Flora L. Darpino, Judge Advocate General's Corps., U.S. Army; Catharine A. MacKinnon, Elizabeth A. Long Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School; Hon. Loretta A. Preska, Chief US District Judge, Southern District of New York; Rt. Hon. Beverley McLachlin, P.C., Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Canada; Camille A. Nelson, Dean, Suffolk Law School; Michele Roberts, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP; Hon. Aida Delgado-Colón, Chief USDistrict Judge, District of Puerto Rico; and, Nancy B. Rapoport, Gordon Silver Professor of Law, University of Nevada-Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law.

• Do the absolute best you can. This is necessary to prove our worth and establish our reputation. "Competence is not based on gender," said Judge Delgado. Accordingly, we want to ensure we are doing our job right and are really good at it to make ourselves invaluable to our clients and bosses so that people will want to come back to us.
• Apply for the job if you want it. Compared to men, women's level of confidence appears to be lower when it comes to applying for jobs. While women tend to apply for jobs when they fulfill all job requirements, studies show that men apply even if they only fulfill 60% of them. Women are, thus, encouraged to increase the level of their self-confidence and be more forthcoming in addressing employment opportunities. In so doing, considering or looking for positions that have an impact and influence on the operation, such as hiring, policy making, compensation, etc., could provide us opportunities to increase workforce diversity and modify the traditional workplace.
• Be women. Being comfortable in our own skin is a key to success. When we are fully aware of particular traits we bring to the table, such as multitasking, our higher level of sensitivity toward diversity and minority issues  being able to perceive certain things differently than men,  and see them as strengths, we can be even more proud of who we are. We should not be dissuaded by stereotypes and should remain true to who we are as women and maintain our uniqueness. In believing in ourselves and portraying that confidence, we can increase our opportunities to succeed and effectuate change.
• Choose your partner wisely. In understanding the simple truth that both genders can help one another, choosing a partner wisely just makes sense. This recommendation becomes more important when we think about the benefits of mutual support to achieve mutual goals, both personal and professional. We also have to be aware of the challenges imposed by dual career and/or success-oriented individuals in one relationship.
• Life is about tradeoffs. We have to choose what we want to do. Understanding we can't have it all and can't do it all may ease the process. That does not mean we can't do a lot and have high aspirations and many goals, but that there is going to be a give and take. There are going to be many choices and a difficult decision-making process.
• Give back. First, we should be supporting, not criticizing other women. It is unfortunate how often it has been said women can be the toughest critics or least supportive of other women. In that sense, I had to laugh but also think hard and wondered if I should worry when I read the quote from Madeline Albright: "Remember there is a special place in hell reserved for women who refuse to help one another." Second, as Judge Millet said, "no one who is successful is in an island." The way I see this is not only from a place of increased interactions and helping others move upward with us, but also as purposefully becoming agents of change in contributing to a workplace that provides more opportunities for integration, retention and advancement of female leaders. Third, being a mentor and teachers, especially to those in younger generations, is key to bring about change from early on.

Fortunately, there are no longer many opportunities to earn the title of "first female lawyer who (fill in the blank)" as statistics show that the gender gap continues to shrink. But change has been slow and the road ahead still needs pioneering spirits to help pave the way for current and aspiring female leaders in the legal profession who continue to face the challenges of a legal workplace lacking sufficient diversity. Yes, much progress has been made but hardly parity. Embracing the now and the great opportunity to be agents of change may not earn us today the title of "first women" but certainly much more than that, the satisfaction of being contributors to boosting the number of women at top levels in the workplace. This, in turn, results in bringing more balance or flexibility to the work and personal lives of both genders.

 

For photos from the conference, click here.

 

Katherine Gonzalez-Valentin is a Senior Member and Director of the Labor & Employment Department of Ferraiuoli LLC in Puerto Rico. She counsels and frequently lectures on employment law topics, is an active federal litigator, First Circuit Vice President for the Federal Bar Association and member of its Federal Litigation Section Governing Board.

2014 Women's Bar Leadership Summit is August 8 in Boston

It is not too late (but will be soon) to register to join leaders of women's bar associations from across the United States in Boston on August 8 for our 2014 Women's Bar Leadership Summit. After welcoming remarks from the Honorable Barbara A. Lenk, Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, our opening keynote speaker will be Lauren Stiller Rikleen, author of the highly acclaimed, ground-breaking book You Raised Us, Now Work With Us-Millennials, Career Success and Building Strong Workplace Teams. Her book is an indispensable resource to help Millennials, Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers understand generational differences and create a more effective work environment. Each attendee will receive a copy of this book.  

 

Koriamanya Carew, Director of Strategic Diversity Initiatives at Shook, Hardy & Bacon, will discuss current issues in breaking barriers in diversity.  

 

The winners of the 2014 Public Service and Outstanding Member Program Awards will be honored at a special luncheon at the Boston College Club, a short walk away from the Summit venue of Suffolk University Law School. The New Hampshire Women's Bar Association will be honored for Overcoming Cancer's Legal Challenges. The Outstanding Member Program Award will be presented to Broward County Women Lawyers' Association for Maze of Injustice--Issues and Concerns Involving Native American Women and Children in the Courts. Our luncheon keynote speaker will be Nancy Gertner. Formerly a federal judge, Nancy Gertner is now Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School. She will be honored as a recipient of this year's Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award. If time doesn't permit you to attend the full-day Summit, please join us for the awards luncheon only. Click here for more information and a registration form.

 

Rosalind Chait Barnett, Senior Scientist at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University, and co-author of the book The New Soft War on Women, will comment on harmful media narratives about gender. She is the 2013 recipient of the Work Life Legacy Award from the Families and Work Institute in New York.

 

Our final speaker of the day will be Amy Gutman, Senior Writer at Harvard School of Public Health and facilitator of the OpEd Project, which seeks to increase the number of women thought leaders in key commentary forums. Learn how you and your bar association can become thought leaders on the issues most important to you. 

 

As usual, we will set aside time for attendees to share great ideas and programs of their own women's bar associations. The cost for the full-day program, including continental breakfast, awards luncheon and a copy of You Raised Us, Now Work With Us is $200. Click here for the registration form.

 

The NCWBA maintains three separate listserves. Presidents and Presidents-Elect of our member associations are eligible for our Presidents Circle listserve.  Executive Directors and those who take on primary administrative tasks for member organizations which do not have paid staff are eligible for our Executive Directors listserve. Anyone involved with women's bar associations as a leader or member may opt to join our NCWBA@yahoogroups.com list.  This is an interactive list which is a great resource for referral requests, job announcements and other matters of interest to women's bar associations. To join this list, send us an e-mail with your name and the e-mail which you wish to use, describing your involvement in a women's bar association. Let us know if you know of people who wish to be added to any of our lists.

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Member organizations are invited to have links to significant upcoming events on our "Members" page. Send us your links!